Against Immunization

For many people, having a child signals a drastic change in their lives. No longer are they concerned with merely themselves and problems and issues that were once of no concern become focal points of worry and doubt. Each child in the United States entering public or private school must undergo a scrutiny of health records. Education officials look for one common factor in each child - an up-to-date shot record.

Immunization records are the first thing education officials look for when enrolling a child in public and private schools. The records are a pre-determined number of shots covering polio, measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox. These shots are spread out over the first eighteen years of a child's life. Often parents are not prepared for this rigorous schedule of shots, and it has become an issue with many in the parenting community.

Nine months can seem like an eternity for an expectant parent. The pregnancy passes in a blur of obstetric visits, sonograms, baby clothes, and all-consuming nervousness over the coming birth. Then the day arrives and the child is greeted by the world. What comes next? Well, besides diapers and feedings, there is a ritual undertaken by the vast majority of parents in the world. It is time to begin immunizations so that the child will be prepared to enter daycare, preschool and elementary school.

When a child is born, pediatricians recommend a series of vaccinations starting at 2 months old. These vaccinations continue to 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 15 months, 24 months, and 12-14 years old. The vaccinations are for hepatitis, polio, diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (otherwise known as chicken pox), and even influenza. It is not easy to see a child dread each office visit because they realize that a needle is involved. While most of the shots are combined in order to lessen the traumatic experience, it is still an experience most parents or guardians would love to avoid. Is immunization something that is necessary? Are these vaccinations worth the potential side effects that all medicine, vaccines, and such carry? This is a debate that is raging within the scientific community as to the validity of enforcing such vaccinations.

An individual's immunization schedule typically begins at two months old and continues until the child is a teenager, somewhere around the fourteen-year mark. The series of vaccinations range from polio to chickenpox and are currently not without some pain and risk of side effect. It is not easy for a parent to enter the pediatrician's office with a screaming toddler because the child recognizes that he or she will be receiving a shot. Are these vaccinations essential? In the past two decades, the occurrences of deadly diseases, such as small pox and polio, have been virtually eliminated. In fact, the chance of an outbreak of small pox is so small that immunizations for this disease are no longer given. So where does that leave the medical community and parents on other diseases? Is there still a risk of measles, mumps or rubella? Many parents do not believe the risk of disease to be worth risking side effects.

Health officials within the United States are searching for a means to alleviate the discomfort of vaccinations while still offering the benefits. One of the current issues brought forth by parents is the possible application of combining vaccines in order to limit the trauma associated with each office visit. These office visits begin at two months and continue on until around fourteen years of age. Each visit usually entails at least three shots. Is it any wonder why some people are fearful of needles? These shots vary from measles to influenza and are heavily debated as to whether or not they are truly needed.

Vaccinations such as the ones listed above, were, earlier in this century, above reproach. Countless lives were saved from the ravages of diseases such as polio and small pox. Each person vaccinated cut down the likelihood of an outbreak of such lethal viruses until the chance of an epidemic was virtually nil. Small pox has been virtually eliminated from the world. Cuts resulting in a tetanus infection are no longer a significant worry. But it is this positive outcome of vaccinations that have parents debating whether or not the ordeal of vaccinations is really worth the potential negative effects.

The potential side effects range from paralysis to febrile seizures. While the chance for a negative reaction or side effect is rare, they do occur. It is a subject of heavy debate for parents. Are vaccinations really worth this risk? Should vaccinations continue to be required by the Department of Education for entry into public schools or daycares? This is a dilemma each parent must face on his or her own. There are no concrete facts to guide the decision, as the research is still ongoing. Perhaps one day, if the risks are eliminated or a less invasive way to administer the vaccines is developed, this issue will fade to the side and become merely a footnote in history.

Schools and health officials want to ensure public safety, but is this precaution necessary in this day and age? Parents are beginning to doubt, especially in light of negative reactions to vaccines. Vaccines, like any medicine, carry the potential for negative reactions and side effects ranging from seizures to fever. Currently, researchers are looking into combining vaccines and finding a method to deliver them without the use of needles. Parents are eager to see the trauma lessened and still have their children protected.

Parents are eager to see their children protected from deadly disease, but not at the cost of introducing other health risks such as secondary side effects from the vaccinations. If a parent refuses to vaccinate, should their child be barred from public schools and daycares? Is this a form of discrimination? It is an issue a parent must face as their precious child grows. The medical community is searching for a compromise on this issue by trying to develop a delivery method that is less invasive, such as a nasal spray that combines several vaccines, without compromising the vaccine itself. Many believe this would lessen the argument against immunizations and perhaps be a justification for the continued requirements for public schools.